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#1 HeadingAccording to a recent survey, working from home is an idea whose time has come. Apparently,we are all queuing up to not get the bus, but to carry our favourite coffee mug upstairs andcosy up with the laptop. The overwhelming reason given by those questioned was that theycould be much, much more efficient if they worked from home. I can see the obviousadvantages but, believe me, working from home is not just inefficient, it is impossible.

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You may have a dedicated study in which you can barricade yourself against the generalmayhem that is family life, but many people do not. The other awkward truth about home-working is that if, like me, you suffer from the least defect of motivation, you are placingyourself in the grip of mental agony. First there are the households chores you really shoulddo, and then there’s that fascinating radio programme …

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When I gave up and found a cheap office-share with other self-employees my life improved ahundredfold. I discovered that a distinct break between work and home was crucial forpsychological health. When I was at work, I could focus on my task; once I was at home, I coulddevote myself to the domestic routine.

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Work is a gateway to a social network, to friends, to a community. In a world of increased

individualism and globalisation, many of us are seeking a sense of belonging somewhere or tosomeone. On a personal level, the search for belonging takes people to internet chat roomsand clubs, to coffee shops-and to work. Work seems to offer a ready-made community.Phychologically speaking, it satisfies our basic instinct to relate to other individuals, and tosociety.

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I realized that there is something profoundly depressing about working at home. It’s as if youhaven’t got a proper job. Most of us gain self-esteem from our identity as a working person,but there can be no such benefit if the work takes place in social isolation. Indeed, working forthe majority is quite clearly not the soul-destroying prison it is sometimes perceived to be.

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However, there are problems where the work culture involves long hours, and people willalways need to strike the right balance between work and home. Behind the fanfaresurrounding a new report on work-life balance lies a truth about the contradictions we all facein juggling home and the workplace. One of the reasons why balancing and “life” is so difficultis that work, for many of us, is so appealing.A .- A daily grind

B.- Workplace fulfills a fundamental need

C.- High likelihood of less willpower to work

D.- Boost the confidence of the worker

E.- Less distraction and higher commitment

F.- A tough combination

G.- Home-working is on the ball

WOULD WINNING THE LOTTERY MAKE YOU HAPPIER?

Imagine spending your last bit of cash on a lottery ticket as a whimsical solution to your penniless state and then finding out one morning that you had won, what would you feel? First off, you were truly lucky with odds of 1 in 13,983,816, you’ve got a higher chance of dying from animal attacks or diseases than winning the lottery.

Like any rational being would, a surge of happiness would instantly fill your body; you can finally afford your mortgage or even get a larger house, buy a nice car, get the latest gadgets, and everything you have ever wanted in life. However, would having large sums of money in your bank account elevate your level of happiness for the rest of your life?

A study in 1978 by three researchers from the University of Massachusetts and

Northwestern University wanted answers. So, they asked recent Illinois State lottery winners about their levels of happiness and comparing them to paraplegic and quadriplegic survivors of catastrophic accidents. Each group was asked to rate how much pleasure they derive from normal everyday activities such as chatting with a friend, hearing a joke or receiving a compliment. After analysing their results, they found out that the victim group felt happier in their everyday life compared to those who won the lottery.

A. This is partially due to a phenomenon called hedonic adaptation or the hedonic treadmill. This describes our tendency to become used to the happiness after experiencing it for the first time. For example, landing the job that you have always wanted may give you happiness but the thrill wears off after a certain period of time. Though it may sound a little bit counterintuitive, hedonic adaptation helps us maintain a steady and emotional equilibrium which makes us less sensitive to any changes including negative events. This phenomenon allows us to revert back to our default emotional state after experiencing high levels of emotion whether good or bad.

B. Piecing together this information, winning the lottery would make you happy but only for a short period of time. After getting used to the luxuries of having enough funds for grandiose homes, better food, and nicer clothes, we go back to how we used to feel before we won the prize. Therefore, winning the lottery doesn’t guarantee happiness, in fact, lottery winners even reported being unhappy after they have won the prize.C. One of the reasons why this is so is because large sums of money can be a lot to manage. Take for example the case of Lisa Arcand from Massachusetts. She won $1 million in 2004 and like all winners, she went on lavish vacations and bought a nice house. However, a million dollars isn’t much for taxes; she even opened a restaurant to keep the cash flowing but to no avail, losing everything in 2007. Another example is Michael Caroll who turned from lottery winner to factory worker, even after winning £9.7 million in 2002. Janite Lee, Willie Hurt, and Lou Eisenberg, are just some of the many names that have won the lottery but went from rags to riches and back to rags because of poor financial decisions.

D. Aside from difficulty in managing finances, winning the lottery can be an isolating experience. Unwanted attention and unwanted requests for money from peers can make us paranoid and anxious. Eventually, lottery winners wind up cutting themselves from others because of the fear of being used as a just a source of money than a source of friendship.

E. While the constant fear of losing everything can haunt lottery winners, some even become greedier than they were before winning. A study conducted by social- psychologist Paul Piff at the UC Berkeley Campus in California, proves that gaining wealth can actually change our behaviour drastically. Using a rigged game of Monopoly, Piff chose a player at random to play the game at a certain advantage such as more starting money, and better ability to move around the board. In just after 15 minutes, the advantaged players displayed dramatic change in behaviour including forceful movement of boardgame pieces, speaking louder, and even minute things such as eating more snacks compared to other players.

F. Winning the lottery will make you happy but thanks to hedonic adaptation, the thrill and excitement of spending all that cash won’t last long. While most of us would indulge in a fabulous lifestyle after winning, there are ways that winning the lottery can make us happier than having the latest supercar in your garage. It’s that old saying it’s not what you have, but what you do that counts. The key to happiness, it seems, is to invest in experiences. Think carefully before you start spending.

G. Having a lot of money can open new opportunities for us to enjoy life more than just having expensive things. With hedonic adaptation embedded in our systems, finding what really guarantees happiness can be a hurdle on the way. However, findings show that people tend to adapt faster to extrinsic and material things than we do on experience. Travelling, exploring, and even learning a new skill, gives us more gratification than having the latest clothes from your favourite designer or luxury brand. Therefore, investing in experiences makes us happier than investing in things.

H.Another thing that would help you convert your money into happiness is throughcharity. Believe it or not, giving others provides more happiness than spending it onyourself. A study by the University of British Columbia and Harvard BusinessSchool proved that spending more on others provides more happiness than spendingit on yourself. Participants were asked to spend money however they wish, be it onthemselves or unto others. Afterwards, a survey was conducted to rate their level ofhappiness. The group who donated their money to charity feel happier than thosewho spent it on themselves.

While having money does make us happy today, it doesn’t guarantee our happinessin the long-run. Thanks to hedonic adaptation, we get used to the emotions that wefeel but we can get around it by making every penny count – not on materialisticthings – but on experiences and by giving back to the community.

1. Failing relationships and negative feelings

2. Winning the lottery may not make you happier3. What is Hedonic Adaptation?4. Philanthropy benefits the giver5. Wealth management issues6. Spend your winnings wisely7. What you do, not what you buy8. Behavioral Changes